UK:call for tighter control on air guns

[manike]

I am in favor

Originally posted by TJ Lambini
of marker and airgun registration...the safety course bit was aimed at airguns rather than pball markers..you wanna own a weapon, show people you can use it responsibly...simple.

is a paintball marker a weapon?

Not in my book. It's a piece of sports equipment (that could be used as a weapon like many pieces of sports equipment). That's one reason I want it kept seperate.

I totally agree when it comes to weapons that you should be only allowed to use it if responsible. I also think that applies to some sports equipment such as baseball bats and paintball markers... but in different ways and should be under different legislation (in the same way that a car is not a weapon but could be used as one and does need legistration to control it's use which is seperate from weapon legislation). I think it's the intended use that should govern it.

Do you see the difference TJ? I'm not argueing for the sake of it (heaven knows I've been accused of that ) I'm just trying to make a distinction, the semantics of which could end up saving paintball if the **** hits the fan in this country which so often knee jerks and kicks the innocent rather than the guilty.

manike

 

[Baca Loco]

And by people I take it you mean

Originally posted by TJ Lambini
of marker and airgun registration...the safety course bit was aimed at airguns rather than pball markers..you wanna own a weapon, show people you can use it responsibly...simple.

nameless, faceless, unelected civil service functionaries of government?
Under the given circumstances the only way you can demonstrate responsible use of a marker is by NOT doing anything irresponsible or unlawful with it and registration has zero impact on what I choose not to do with my marker. The only thing my registration does is suggest I am unlikely to be part of the problem in the first place.

 

[Baca Loco]

Re: I am in favor

Originally posted by manike


is a paintball marker a weapon?

Not in my book. It's a piece of sports equipment (that could be used as a weapon like many pieces of sports equipment). That's one reason I want it kept seperate.

I totally agree when it comes to weapons that you should be only allowed to use it if responsible. I also think that applies to some sports equipment such as baseball bats and paintball markers... but in different ways and should be under different legislation (in the same way that a car is not a weapon but could be used as one and does need legistration to control it's use which is seperate from weapon legislation). I think it's the intended use that should govern it.

manike

Right again. This is getting creepy.

 

[TJ Lambini]

Manike... never argued differently did I? Maybe I did, can't be bothered to check back now...I feel marker registration is no bad thing; FACs have different sections on em and that's one road to go down, tha box you tick is for pball marker, though I agree that a distinction between weapons and pball guns would be good for us.

Baca - you hit the nail on the head - those that bother to take time to register and hand their details and go thru a small degree of hassle are those who don't misuse pball markers. Those who do are generally guys who just pick one up for $100 on a whim and go shoot cars and dogs.

 

[manike]

Originally posted by TJ Lambini
Manike... never argued differently did I?

I think we are coming from the same place with this discussion , I'm just feeding off of your points to make distinctions in what I would like to see and I'm trying to give reasons for it. I'm not sure we are arguing, more defining

I do think the semantics and how it is applied may one day be very important, so that's why I was defining things a little diffferently. I've spent a long time before on why things need to be defined certain ways and careful use of language (and probably lost a huge amount of money to a f&*^ up that was out of my control! so I'm trying to learn from that lesson!) I'd hate to see someone be able to pick on paintball just because we didn't do all we could to seperate ourselves into our own independent area or because we rushed into a definition which may not ultimately benefit us. I think getting paintball markers classed with Air Weapons under a FAC would be one off the worst mistakes we could make at the moment.

Although I do think registration of legally owned markers would be a good thing and show outsiders that those off us who care do not need further legislation and are actually prepared to govern ourselves...

Hotpoint, is there a registration service with the UKPSF? The figures of responsible owners willing to register may even help us... although those of us like me with over 30 markers may have to do some work to register them

manike

 

[Baca Loco]

So then the point of registering

is what, conditioning the general populace to expect and accept greater and greater degrees of intrusion into our daily lives? What's next? How bout inspectors in the kitchen checking the knives in the cutlery drawer or having to drop by the local station house to ask permission to take karate classes.

Fight the Power.

 

[TJ Lambini]

Fight tha power

Damn straight, but pick your battles...Manike is right; intha UK at least, self-legislation of some sort whereby all ballers registered markers could be beneficial in terms of tha sport gaining recognition, avoiding legislation and a myriad of other things.

If we're getting into paternalistic govt, let's start in tha right place shall we: drugs. Since when did the Govt have tha right to tell anyone what they put in their own bodies? Sorry, but I musta missed that meeting and forgotten signing that form...

 

[manike]

If we register ourselves...

The point of registering...

is nothing whatsoever other than a voluntary thing which we could use to show that we are a responsible group who can look after ourselves without the need for government restrictions, when those arseholes who don't like us come knocking on the door...

We can tell them to go ^&*$ themselves and persecute those who don't care and don't register and to leave our legitimate sport alone

We would have a better chance, in my opinion, if we have our own voluntary system (which they would not have access to) rather than being forced to do it later by the pressure groups.

Pro-active rather than re-active.

Of course if we were forced by the government to register it would be different... which is why we should consider making our own steps. I'd rather start our way than 'their' way.

Baco, in effect it is a ploy and one more item for our arsenal It wouldn't even be required, it would just be for effect and in case.

manike

 

[manike]

Oh my god! TJ and Baco agreeing with me in one thread? And it's a controvertial one at that... what happened?

TJ & Baco, I also hate being told what to do by someone who has no relevance to what we are doing. I would rather we arranged within our sporting body to control ourselves than had people from outside do it.

It would be great in an ideal world to not require such measures, but unfortunately I live in the real world, in the UK where we have many adversaries to our sport.

I would rather remove their 'teeth' before they had chance to bare them... some measure of self control and registration would go a huge way to do that.

manike

 

[TJ Lambini]

Exactimundo

Now will someone please remove this thred, thus burying tha evidence that I agreed with beef jerkey and science geek - I got a rep 2protect.